Tightener for brace-rods.



No. 758,910. PATENTED MAY 3, 1904.

A. T. GRATTELO & H. WOODMANSB. TIGHTBNER FOR BRAGE RODS.

APPLICATION TILED DEC. 5. 1903.

K0 MODEL.

Patented May 3, 1904.

UNITED" STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ALBERT T. GRATTELO AND HARRISON WOODMANSE, OF FREEPORT, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNORS TO HARRISON IVOODMANSE, OF FREEPORT,

ILLINOIS.

TIGHTENER FOR BRACE-RODS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 758,910, dated May 3, 1904.

Application filed December 5,1903. Serial No. 183,997. (No model.)

To all w/w/w it III/IIII/ (UH/(N37711:

Be it known that we, ALBERT T. GRATTELO and I'IARRISON \Voommxsn, citizens of the United States of America, residing at Freeport, in the county of Stephenson and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Tightcners for Brace-Rods, of which the following is a specification.

The object of our invention is to provide means for tightening the diagonal brace-rods of windmill-towers; and it consists of certain new and useful features of construction and combinations of parts especially devised to that end, all as hereinafter fully described, and specilically pointed out in the claim.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, which form a part of this specification, Figure 1 is a side elevation of a windmill-tower having its diagonal brace-rods tightened in the manner proposed by means of our improved tightener. Fig. 2 is a section at the dotted line 2 in Fig. 1 of parts there shown. Fig. 3 is an elevation of the disk of one of the tighteners, showing countersunk grooves in the face thereof for the reception of brace-rods to be tightened. Fig. 4 is an isometrical detailed view of the same.

Like letters of reference indicate corresponding parts throughout the several views.

A represents two corner-posts of a windmilltower section.

B represents angle-iron cross-bars connected and secured by their ends to the cornerposts A by means of bolts O.

D is a disk having brace-rod-engaging grooves I) sunk into one face thereof and a bolt-hole I) extending transversely therethrough. The engaging grooves D in the disk D are rights and lefts, so that the disk may be used with either a right-hand or left-hand brace-rod. Fig. 3 shows a left-hand bracerod resting in one of the grooves I).

E is a \J-bolt passed through the hole D in the disk D, adapted to engage the horizontal flanges E of the angle-iron cross-bars B of the windmill-tower.

F is a nut for clamping the disk D against the vertical flanges E of the angle-iron crossbars B.

G, Fig. 1, represents pairs of brace-rods extending from the points of connection between the alternate cross-bars B and their cornerposts A obliquely across to the opposite points of connection 0 between such corner-posts and alternate cross-bars.

After the brace-rods (ir have been secured by their ends and by means of the bolts O to the corner-posts A of the windmill-tower one of the disks Dis applied to each of such bracerods G, as shown in Fig. 3, and a d-bolt E is passed through the hole .D in such disk I), as shown in Fig. 2, and engages by its hook portion with a flange E of one of the cross-bars B. A nut F is then applied to the threaded end of such d-bolt E. The adjacent pairs of disks I.) are next forced outward toward and at equal distances from the corner-posts A until the brace-rods (1 are as tense as desired. The nuts F are then turned upon their bolts E until the disks Dare firmly clamped against and secured to their contiguous cross-bars B.

IV hat we claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

In a tightener for brace-rods, in combination, a disk D having brace-rod-engaging grooves I) sunk into one face thereof, and a bolt-hole 1) extending transversely therethrough, a \J-bolt E adapted to engage one of the flanges E on an angle-iron cross-bar B of a windmill-tower and a nut F for clamping the disk I) against such cross-bar B at any desired point thereon, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

In testimony whereof we have signed our names to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

ALBERT T. (I-RATTELO. HARRISON \VOODMANSE.

\Vitnesses:

(i. E. S'rcnNnon, \V. H. BLossER. 

